Thanks trubee. I may have to rethink this. Gotta figure out what will work in that space.

madcow, I've been considering the identical set up. I think the look of these two products combined can bring a very nice design element and functionality to a kitchen. Unfortunately, like you I am trying to determine if the investment is worth it and will I happy with their performance. If you have any experience with the Miele Coffee System I'd love to hear it. Check out the recent thread, "Opinions on built-in Meile or Dacor coffee machines?". You should be able to find it on page 1, 2 or 3 of the appliance forum.

I find trubee's comments troubling. First, "impossible to keep clean?" What does that mean exactly? Does her friend wipe it down after use? How often does she clean it? I can't imagine the material used in the oven compartment of the Miele Speed Oven is different material used in the Miele's Steam Oven. Can anyone clarify this?

Secondly, in regards to the comment "it isn't as good as a microwave". The Miele Speed Oven is a microwave! It can function as a microwave only, a separate convection oven only, or these two functions can be used in combination. Again, how can it not be as good as a microwave when you have the ability to choose a 1000 watt microwave function? I'm confused! Can anyone clarify this one too?

trubee, curious if the Steam Oven has any kind microwave functionality? Can it be used for defrosting, making popcorn, or any other typical microwave uses?

Walden, trubee said "not good as a microwave", not "not AS good as microwave". In terms of cleaning, the surface has lots of little sharp small bumps, so one could have trouble scraping the insides with a flat tool. However, I remember someone posting some time ago about spraying something in the oven when it's about 200 deg F, then cleaning it, but I don't rmember the details.

To those who don't like its microwave capabilities:
I'm considering getting one myself. My microwave needs are fairly simple: heating water and leftovers and making popcorn, and I think the cheapest microwaves, even without turntables, can do those tasks fairly well. Would the Miele speed oven have trouble with this sort of use?

-- Paul

Did you consider an advantium? Something like an advantium 240 Monogram shouldn't look too bad above Miele stuff. (I'm putting one above a Miele convection oven, and to the left of it will be a Miele steam oven... I'll post pics in 2-3 weeks once everything is ready)

I have both the Steam oven and Speed oven. I mostly use the microwave and have baked in it once, all with good result. The heating element in the microwave can be disengaged on one side. I usually microwave water in it first, then wipe down. As long as you cover items, it takes a while to get dirty. I cleaned mine last November, and will probably do it again this month. The steamer has been great. We have a garden, so I can fill it up with greens. However, for just a few vegetables I have used a basket steamer on my induction top! Hope this helps.

Thanks all for your responses. I think I will look more closely at the choices, but I'm still leaning towards the Miele.

Stirfry - so it sounds like the Speed Oven is okay for basic MW function and the cleaning issue should not be a huge deal. I would rarely use it to bake in since I have a 4-oven AGA that I use for most things. Maybe I can go with this after all.

Walton - I love the coffemaker. A friend has the CVA 615 and the coffee is great. Plus, I have to confess, it looks really cool too. The Coffee System/Speed Oven set up that I've seen at my cabinet place looks awesome.

Mart242 - the Advantium has way more functionality than I need.

if anyone wants to ask my friend directly about her Miele speed oven, I know she would be open to your questions.
email me and i'll send you her email.

madcow: look at the advantium 240. It doesn't have much functionality: microwave only, or speed cooker. And it does the speed cooking much faster than the miele for less $.

Hi trubee,

I could not find a way to email to you through this forum. I would really like to know more about miele speed oven. I need an undercounter microwave/speed oven combination, and it seems that miele or ka ultima are my only two choices. I would love to ask your friend more questions, but your email did not come up. Thanks

I bought this Miele oven for my dream kitchen; it sits atop the Miele 30" oven. It looks really cool with the trim kit that matches over the stainless oven below.

I love some things about it:

It's very versatile; it combines convection and microwaving with great results.

It has the Masterchef functions (not exactly like the oven's masterchef but very close since it's also a microwave). We can and sometimes do make our entire dinner in the microwave (try that with a conventional oven): roasted chicken comes out wonderful. We use the roast probe and it always comes out juicy and full of flavor. I have not yet used all of the functions but have made great flat bread pizza and casseroles with good results. It's a great microwave (very powerful). Easy to use (it has a minute + function so it's microwaving at the touch of one button. It will do your regular microwaving without any problem.

What I don't love about it:
The inside of the oven is incredibly difficult to clean. Instead of smooth sides, the microwave uses an irregularly pebbled interior surface to bounce microwaves because it does not turn the food on a turntable. Those pebbled surfaces get really dirty and they're nearly impossible to clean. I sent an e-mail to the Miele company about the best way to clean the oven and they have not yet replied (1-2 months later). You cannot spray it with oven cleaner because you will get the cleaner into the convection fan; I tried wiping it on with a sponge but it didn't work well. Finally, I taped up fan "holes" and sprayed oven cleaner and it worked okay (not great). Overall, such an expensive oven should look clean and it's disappointing that it doesn't.

The speed oven door opens down like an oven door. If this oven is mounted above your conventional wall oven, it's also very difficult to clean because the opening door (unlike a side opening traditional microwave oven) gets in your way. At counter level, it should be far easier to reach into.

The plastic/glass tray (the oven calls it "glass" but it feels like plastic) is also impossible to clean fully. Drippings stain it (especially after roasting) and the stains are permanently etched in the plastic no matter what cleaning product I try.

It's expensive!!! Miele ovens never go on sale so the price is the same everywhere you go. I got mine at Homeclick (no tax; free shipping) for about $2400; another $309 for the trim kit makes it a very pricy microwave.

I hope this helps. Having said all of that, I still love the microwave and love the way it looks in my new kitchen.

ohhhhh the miele speedoven...I have had one for 1.5 years. Got the first one in the N East I believe. Would not reccomend. Impossible to keep clean. Meile and someone on the forum suggested heating oven to 200 shut off then apply Easy off fume free oven cleaner trying not to spray into fan area. Let it sit for 1/2 hr or so and wipe/rinse out. Gets most of the stains, not all. The tray is never going to come clean if you use it for roasting or get any splatters on it. I do not find the use instructions intuitive. The timers are annoying and do not automatically shut off and I always have to make a separate trip back to the oven to turn off the timers. I find the micro function adequate but seems underpowered. My biggest complaint however is prob silly to most but the clock display is noticeably dimmer than the the masterchef oven that is directly below it. When the oven is hot and turned off the clock display goes away until the oven cools! I have had Miele here several times and they have changed out the computer module w/no change and they just think I am fussy/annoying. I have not used it for roasting chicken but have baked in it and the convection fan is so powerful it seems to dry out burn the top of whatever is being cooked. (yes I adjust temp for convection)
For the price I am not happy and would suggest looking at other alternatives.

This forum was such a great resource to me as I agonized over appliance decisions. I very nearly bought the Miele speed oven, but the posts here made me rethink this.

I have not had a microwave for about 5 years, as my kitchen is quite small, and since I rarely used the microwave anyway, I felt it was not worth having it take up valuable space. The Miele speed oven appealed to me because I wanted a second oven, and liked the idea of getting the microwave as a bonus that took up no extra space. The thought of having an oven that I didn't want to actually cook in because it would be such a hassle to clean was a real turnoff though, so I reconsidered.

The Gaggenau Combination steam/convection oven that I read about on the forum really appealed to me in a big way, but it was just too pricy and not good for under-counter placement, which is the only space I had available. I went to check out the Miele steam oven, but felt it would not give me enough flexibility without the convection function. I can't tell you how frustrated I was trying to choose this small second oven.

Luckily, just before the deadline when my appliances had to be ordered, a salesperson told me that he had just found out that at the end of February there would be a new AEG steam/convection oven available in Canada, and it would be much less expensive than the Gaggenau. Nobody knew much about it, but I took the chance and ordered it.

My new kitchen was completed a couple of weeks ago, and I must tell you that the AEG convection/steam oven is probably my favourite appliance. I've been using it every single day. In my opinion it does what a microwave does, a little more slowly, but much more effectively, and does so much more. I don't know if it's available where you are, but if so, you might want to check it out before you make your decision.

zsazsa1 - do you have any more information - especially the size of this unit? Also where did you buy it?

Sorry for hijacking this thread.

The unit is the same size as the Miele speed oven, I believe. I don't have the dimensions in front of me, but you can get the information via the link to Euro-line Appliances below. They distribute the appliance to dealers within Canada and can tell you the closest availability for you.

Our kitchen designer works with someone at Tasco, so we ended up buying our appliances there. Roger at Morley's Appliances (Woodbridge)knew about the oven first, and quoted a very competitive price though.

Here is a link that might be useful: Euro-line Appliances

Here is a more direct link to the information on the AEG convection/steam oven.

Here is a link that might be useful: AEG convection/steam oven information

zsazsa, do you think you could use the AEG to warm a cup of milk, that sort of thing? Thanks, Pam

Hi Pam,

Sure, it could be used for warming a cup of milk.

Here's what I've used it for so far:
- soft boiled eggs every morning (place the eggs on the rack, turn the steam on, wait 10 minutes and they're done.)
- steaming veggies
- warming up plates of leftovers for dinner (using the "interval" function which combines steam and convection).
- heating up frozen muffins, cinnamon buns (interval function again - they come out like fresh made.)
- I've baked a few dozen muffins using the straight convection.
- honey-garlic pork chops, baked potatoes, using convection
- my husband likes his chocolate cookies warm, so he heats them on interval setting every time he has a cookie!

Thanks. Do you think it's as fast as a microwave?

BTW, sounds like there's a lot of good stuff coming out of your kitchen, zsazsa - yum!

It's not as fast as a microwave, but it's still pretty quick. Warming up frozen baked goods like cinnamon buns takes 10 minutes, and heating up a few plates of leftovers takes about the same amount of time. Everything heats evenly and stays moist though, unlike a microwave.

I have been cooking up a storm lately. It's so much fun to work in my new kitchen - great lay-out, new appliances, and more counter space!

Thanks, zsazsa. I will definitely take a closer look at this product.

You're most welcome!

ah crap. thanks a lot zsazsa1. ;)

My kitchen is complete and I got my appliances last week including a Miele steam oven. And now, I'm learning about that new AEG steam / combination oven. I would definitely have gotten one like that if I had known before!

(that's not really a surprise. the next thing will be an updated avdantium 240 pretty soon... and a better miele induction cooktop!)

Just a thought, one would think that the best thing for cleaning a "pebbled" surface would be a brush...like soften the crud on the surface by heating water to get steam (using the microwave function or a tea kettle) or spray it with an appropriate cleaning solution, and then use a brush that would get down into the pebbly surface.

The only reason that I mention this is that people don't seem to think about using a brush for cleaning much these days, but I use them all the time in difficult spaces. And they are available with handles (like a bottle or vegatable brush), and lots of different form factors...

I use a bottle brush and a dilute bleach solution in a sprayer to clean out the interior portion of the detergent/bleach/softener dispenser drawer in our washing machine, and it works great and does the job quickly. There's no way that I could get my hand in there, or get any other cleaning tools that I have to conform to all the odd twists and turns of that internal surface.

-Roger

Congratulations on your completed new kitchen Mart242! I bet you're enjoying it - I know what a relief it is when the project is finally complete and you have your new kitchen to yourself.

I was lucky to find out about the AEG steam oven before most of the appliance sales people in my area. One sales guy that I talked to was really on the ball and told me about it, but when I phoned around for quotes none of the other reps had heard of it.

Are you happy with the Miele's performance?

zsazsa1: I haven't had a chance to cook much. I just moved in so meals consist of heating a pizza in the advantium or chicken nuggets. The miele induction is great though... it boils water super fast. I should be doing more cooking next week. Hopefully!

I bet you're loving that Miele induction cooktop. I tried it out in the showroom here - wow, it was impressive!

It must be driving you crazy having all those fabulous appliances and no time to use them yet. I went through that too - trying to clear up the aftermath of construction with no time left over for the fun stuff.

Now I'm in the next phase: using the new kitchen daily and sweating it whenever there is a crumb or grease spot in view ;)

I looked up AEG's steam oven, seems they only make 24" wide,
the heights are 15" or 24". Now I need a second oven
on top of my 27" oven, ideally it should be a combi-oven,
but I don't like Gaggenau for various reasons, price being
one of them. The AEG sounds like a great option, but does it
offer trim kit? I know Miele does. Thanks.

I have used the 4080BM speed oven for about a month.

I do like the fit and finish of the unit as it looks good paired with the H4880BP Oven. It fits the need as a second oven and comes with microwave functionality.

I did find that it was a little under powered at first but Miele was out to check the setup of my dishwasher and changed the voltage setting on the speed oven (240). After that the microwave function works great.

The cleaning is issue is OK. It is a little hard to remove some stains but I have experienced the same with a regular microwave. The surface of the steel has a waffle finish.

The unit does not shut off after it has run even if you open the door. This seems to the same with the dishwasher. I just press the off button before I remove the food. If you don't it can be annoying as you think it is finished and then beeps again.

I use a splatter guard to cut down on the splatter. This works well.

All in all it is a good comprise of an oven and a microwave. If you are a diehard microwave user and donÂt need an additional oven you may want to consider only a microwave.

I chose 4080BM as I didnÂt like the looks of a smaller microwave with an add-on trim kit.

My husband wants a real toaster. My kitchen has limited counter space and can not support a large toaster oven and a toaster. I was wondering if the Miele speed oven or the Advantium or any other, might solve my problem.(I could fit one of those in the wall).

I need a small oven that heats to temperature quickly that I can use to reheat crispy foods (pizza, chicken, pastry) or make quick grilled cheese, toast nuts for baking etc. if it fully cooks other foods all the better. The microwave is just so limited, and the big oven just takes too long for little things. Please if you can help me I'd appreciate it.
Thanks and Happy New Year
MOT

Just wanted to post a "thank you" to zsazsa for telling us about the AEG steam oven. I just checked the site and they also have a family of 24 inch ovens --just what I have been looking for. They also have a SS trim kit sized for a Panasonic microwave so that you can install the MW with the AEG products in an integrated looking tower, options for both 24 and 30.

I have the Miele H4080BM microwave and it is one of the worst designs I have ever seen. The glass tray in mine has been broken twice. I don't know about the others that own this microwave with the glass tray but I really don't like it!!! Does anyone know where I might purchase a replacement glass tray for this microwave at a decent price?